What I find to be really upsetting as a person with Bipolar is that it has become the new "excuse" for acting badly.

Doesn't seem to matter if it is someone shooting up a university, or a celebrity being involved in a punchup at a tavern.

All you hear is "bipolar" and they are written off as "crazy people" and in the case of celebrities, absolved of responsibility for their actions.

Look, I am more inclined to "go off" though in my case I tend to be a risk to myself. I have once in adult life actually taken a swing at someone and that was in hospital when I was heavily drugged post-surgery and panicked.

I was mortified as soon as I realized what I had done, and very relieved that the poor nurse was able to dodge me.

I am still a member of society, and as a result, I have a responsibility to make sure I use the medications and therapy needed to keep me and others safe.

Having a chemical brain imbalance doesn't give me any sort of free ride.

What has happened as a result of all of this is that when I go to a doctor's and they go through my paperwork and see what medications I am on, you can immediately see the little "crazy" light flick on in their brains.